Israel’s newly elected parliament was sworn in on Tuesday amid political deadlock, with President Isaac Herzog urging lawmakers to avoid another election as Gadi Eisenkot struggles to form a government.
The 27 October election cost Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu his parliamentary majority but left his rivals without a clear path to power.
Lawmakers took their oaths as former general Gadi Eisenkot sought to assemble a governing coalition after Herzog tasked him with forming a government on Sunday.
However, Eisenkot and his allies remain short of a majority and have yet to secure agreements with potential coalition partners. If neither he nor Netanyahu can form a government, Israel could face another election.
Herzog, who presided over the swearing-in ceremony, urged lawmakers to avoid another vote and work together despite their political differences.
“You must do everything to avoid a repeat election,” he said. “Reach out a hand for compromise, even between rivals... Look upon one another with generosity. There is much work to be done here, and it requires the ability and experience found in every part of this House.”
He also stressed that parliament was “duty bound to leave no stone unturned” in investigating and understanding the “catastrophe” of 7 October, as Israel continues to face threats from Iran and its proxies.
Netanyahu remains caretaker prime minister until a new government is formed. His right-wing Likud party and its far-right and ultra-Orthodox allies performed better than expected but still lost their parliamentary majority, securing 53 of the Knesset’s 120 seats.
Eisenkot’s centre-right Yashar party and its allies control 48 seats, while Arab-led parties hold the remaining 19. The Arab parties could prove crucial to Eisenkot’s ambitions, given their shared opposition to Netanyahu.
Despite the political deadlock, the new Knesset could advance several of Eisenkot’s campaign pledges, including establishing a state commission of inquiry into the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks.
Arab-led parties support the inquiry, which Netanyahu has largely opposed. A parliamentary majority could also replace the current Knesset speaker, who belongs to Likud.
Within minutes of parliament formally opening, Eisenkot and his allies introduced bills to establish the inquiry and impose term limits on the prime minister.
They also proposed repealing a controversial judicial overhaul and other legislation passed during Netanyahu’s government over the past four years.
Eisenkot has until 6 December to form a government, with the option of requesting a two-week extension until 20 December.
He has acknowledged that the task is “extraordinarily complex”.
Three possible routes to power remain, each presenting significant obstacles:
So far, the ultra-Orthodox parties have refused to commit to joining an Eisenkot-led government.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu has questioned the election result, alleging without evidence that Arab citizens, who account for around a fifth of Israel’s population, engaged in voter fraud.
Election officials said they were investigating possible misconduct but had found no evidence of fraud significant enough to affect the result.
Following the swearing-in ceremony, Netanyahu called for a unity government, warning that Iran was seeking to revive its nuclear programme and that Israel could face growing international pressure to accept a nuclear-armed Iran.
“Only such a (unity) government will be capable of confronting challenges of this magnitude,” he said.
If Eisenkot fails to form a government, Herzog is likely to give Netanyahu an opportunity to build a coalition. Should Netanyahu also fail, another candidate would be given a chance before a fresh election becomes necessary.
The swearing-in ceremony also featured a poignant moment when Elisha Madan, a military reservist who lost both legs fighting in Gaza, stood on his prosthetic legs to take the oath of office.
Fellow lawmakers rose to give him a standing ovation.
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